Home Forums Lever Action Central Lever Actions - General 1894 in anger

I've tried. 3030 with open sights isn't my ting, but I've given it a go. I have regular irons on it (newer, very clean 1894 Win, no peep sight yet). I can hold 5 inches at 100 yards from a sandbag and 45 year old eyes. I spent a couple of hours and couldn't get them to group. As I came down to the last few rounds I just rattled them off and wow they all went in the black. I normally shoot hi power w/scope and watch .5 MOA happen. I love this f**king gun and can't stop picking it up. It lives next to the bed. I know I'm not going to see .5 MOA but realistically... all internet BS aside�what should I be looking for with this traditional platform?
-=tpr=-

I get around 2" groups sitting or leaning on something. The way leaver actions are shaped I have trouble shooting off a bench. Most stock sights are kind of rough a peep should help and try differant brands and bullet weights. Your gun may not like the ammo you feed it.

I use the "One Ragged Hole" replacement rear sight blade on my 94's. Easy swap. It is a ghost ring type peep sight. Most folks have a love/hate relationship with them. They run $33 at Brownells.

Marble's offers a dovetatil replacement Bulleyes Peep that I like, maybe better, but I have never used one on on my 94's. I use the longer model. MidwayUSA has it for $17. These suggestions may help you. Good luck.

I have looked through a couple of peep sights and while I haven't tried them they appear less precise to me. Am I missing something? Would a peep only be an improvement over a regular notch sight if it was mounted further toward the eye?

Thanks for your help.

-=tpr=-

If you try it I think you will really like it. Just look through the peep but don't concentrate on it. Concentrate putting the front bead on the target and you will be pleasantly surprised.

TPR,

Yes, peep, or aperture sights are more precise. Some of us, as we age, suffer from astigmatism and that will cause issues with aperture sights.

I have both factory open sights and Lyman aperture sights on my lever rifles.

The aperture sights not only allow a quicker sight picture, but can also give a more precise sight picture.

You are correct in your assessment that an aperture sight placed closer to the eye would be an improvement over an open sight farther away. Take a look at the Scheutzen rifles for example. Those setups can post some impressive groups at 200yds, groups that a lot of folks would like to get at 100yds.

For me, a lever action rifle such as the Win '94 requires a different approach at the bench than a typical bolt rifle. Forearm pressure will play havoc with groups.

In my .30-30 I am happy with 1 1/2-2" groups at 100yds with the factory sights.

Just my $0.02

Ed

Welcome to the Campfire.

I don't care for factory iron sights but I'm very big on XS ghost-ring sights. I currently have them on a Marlin 1895 and 1894 and wouldn't be without 'em. I don't know why but they're both fast AND more accurate for me. I'm sure the longer sight plane helps and the front post just naturally wants to center itself on the target (they're a milk jug's worst nightmare)!!!

1894 has a plain ghost-ring


1895 has a "winged" rear ghost-ring....


both have the plain front post....

Here is a '94 with a peep (receiver) sight. Used it in '09 to take a deer at a lazered 236 yards.

I've went with a scope since this picture, but this was taken at about 5 yards from my tree stand. Hell, I was higher in the air than the distance the durn deer was from me. I pretty much shot straight down at her.


Same rifle, better view of the sight, which has since been replaced with a Leupold Ultralight 2.5X20

Bet that doe was good eatin'.....

What ammo? Sound like Hornady LeverEvolution stuff.

The bench groups from my 94s are disappointing, but not the groups from standing or sitting. I haven't come up with a satisfactory answer for this yet. I shoot 85-90 standing on a SR-1 with the 94s, but they all average 3"-5" for five five-shot groups from a bench. I don't shoot any better standing with my scoped bolt action rifles that will shoot 1" - 2" for five five-shot groups.

The only thing I shoot better standing is a Turkish 98 with a Williams FP, 1/16" brass bead front and a new crown. This rifle went 2.4" average for the five five-shot groups. The stock on this rifle is what seems to work so well for me, but the rifle is too slow into action for hunting. I used it in the past with results that were mixed because of this slowness.

Bottom line, if you're shooting this rifle well don't sweat the large bench groups. They make load development and sighting in tougher, but when you're there you're there.

Actually, no. It is a load built around the Hornady 170 grain FP, which is about as aerodynamic as a brick, but is horrendously accurate in my M94. Starts out at 2184 fps, and keeps it's speed like it has the brakes on. You'd have to see the 100 yard groups as opposed to the other bullets tried, and coupled with the fact that the huge majority of my shots are typically in the 50 yard range, I chose accuracy over BC.

I do shoot the rifle a lot at 200 yard targets, and that helped quite a bit.

Nebraska, it was very good eating. The deer never even had an idea I was around, and was totally relaxed when I shot, and ever more so after....

Doesn't get any better than that!!

You don't need leverevolution ammo to reach out with a .30-30. All you need is to really know your rifle and the trajectory of it's ammo. I killed one deer at a measured 314 yards and several more at ranges between 200 and 250 yds. with 150 gr. core-lokt factory loads. At the time my old peep sighted '94 was my only centerfire rifle. Consequently, I used it year round for varmints, predators and game and knew it's capabilities/trajectory like the back of my hand. I killed a red fox at 270 yds. and many woodchucks between 200 and 250 yards with it so deer at similar distances were not overly tough.

I spent the last few days making an improvised peep for my 94. I used a piece of .125 inch thick angle aluminum cut and polished to straddle the bolt raceways and fasten into the scope mount holes. It has an adjustable brass insert with a .06 aperture. I had measured everything with a micrometer but I was still quite surprised that when I mounted it, it lined up with the irons almost perfectly. The rear iron is a fold down and I know is in good line. I used a piece of fishing line (pulled tight) to calculate the height of the aperture (based of the irons). I'm amazed at how much sharper the sight picture is. If anything when I sight through the peep with the rear iron up it might be very slightly biased to one side. I'm wondering if .06 is too small for me so I may just put a needle file in there and open it up in the direction opposite the slight bias. I'm going to shoot it this weekend. I will post pictures as soon as I get a chance.

Thank you fellers for your help/advice/encouragement
-=tpr=-

I have heard of guys doing some very long range shooting
with peep sights on 30-30s and 35s. Usually Marlin 336s.

.06" will be suitable for daylight target shooting. For general use and hunting you will want .125" to .150".

The big thing with aperture sights is to relax, don't over think it, just let your eye do its thing. The eye naturally lines the bead up in the centre of the hole in the aperture, all you have to do is put that bead where you want a hole to be.